1.

INTRODUCTION
1.1. DEFINITION OF TERMS

MECHANICS​ ​is the branch of physics that considers the action of the forces on
bodies or fluids that are at rest or in motions.

The ​Mechanics of rigid bodies i​ s divided into two areas:​ ​Statics ​and
Dynamics​.
1) STATICS is concerned with the equilibrium of a body that is either at rest or
moves with constant velocity.
2) DYNAMICS is dealing with the accelerated motion of a body. Dynamics is
also divided into two parts.
a. KINEMATICS which treats only the geometric aspects of the motion
b. KINETICS which is the analysis of the forces causing the motion.

However, our primary concerned of this course is the first part of mechanics
which is the statics of rigid bodies, for this is the fundamental of engineering
mechanics. This is also the pre-requisite of the next engineering subject which is
called DYNAMICS.
ENGINEERING MECHANICS therefore, ​is the branch of engineering that applied
the principles of mechanics to mechanical design (i.e., any design that must take
into account the effect of forces).
WHAT ARE THE PURPOSES OF STUDYING MECHANICS?
1) Mechanics is applied in engineering design and analysis.
2) Mechanics is an integral component of engineering discipline related to the
mechanical sciences.
3) Mechanics is pre-requisite to engineering education, such as: aerospace,
architectural, civil and mechanical engineering.
VISUAL OUTLINES OF HOW ENGINEERING MECHANICS ARE
INTER-RELATED TO OTHER STUDIES OR TOPICS:
1.2. FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND AXIOM OF MECHANICS
1.2.1. RIGID BODY​ is defined as a definite amount of matter the parts of which
are fixed in position relative to one another. Actually, solid bodies are never
rigid; they deform under the action of applied forces. However, this
deformation is negligible compared to the size of the body and this body
may be assumed rigid. Bodies made of steel or cast iron are example of this
type. This is the fundamental concept of rigid bodies.
1.2.2. MASS and WEIGHT. MASS​ is that invariant property of a body which
measures its resistance to a change of motion, while ​WEIGHT​ is mass times
constant gravitational acceleration, W = mg.
1.2.3. FORCE AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
FORCE is the action exerted by one body upon another. The
characteristics of a force are:
(1) Its magnitude
(2) The position of its line of action
(3) And the direction (or sense) in which the force acts along its line of
action
Note: the unit of force
For English system: pound (lb.), kilo pounds (1,000 lb.)
For Absolute Metric (CGS): dyne (gm.-cm/sec​2​)
For Absolute metric (MKS): newton (kg-m/sec​2​) or N, kilo newton
(1,000N)
The unit of mass
For English system: slug (lb-sec​2​/ft.)
For Absolute Metric (CGS): gram (gm.)
 For Absolute Metric (MKS): kilogram (kg.)
The unit of constant gravitational acceleration:
For English: 32.2 ft. /sec​2
For Absolute Metric (MKS): 9.81m/sec​2
1.2.4 ​EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL EFFECTS OF FORCES

The ​external effect​ of a force upon a body is manifested by a change in, or

a tendency to change, the state of motion of the body upon which it acts.
The ​internal effect​ of a force is to produce stress and deformation in the
body.
1.2.5​ ​The principle of transmissibility of a force ​states ​that the external effect
of a force on a rigid body is the same for all points of application along its
line of action.​ In other words, that the principle of transmissibility applies
only to the external effect of a force on the same rigid body.

In ​Fig. a,​ the motion of the block will be the same whether it is pushed at A
or pulled at B, except that the internal effects at A and B are quite different.
 Consider the system of two bars in ​Fig. b​, it is hinged together at D, and it
is not inherently rigid; it is the hinged supports at C and E that restrict
relative movement of the bars. Since we do not have a single rigid body,
both the external reactions and the internal effects will be different if P is
applied first at A and then at B.

However, if the hinge support at E is replaced by a roller support and

another bar CE added as in Fig. c, we shall have a triangular truss
equivalent to a single rigid body. It means to say, that the external
reactions will be the same whether P is applied at A or at B, although the
internal effects will differ since P applied at A tends to bend bar CD while
P acting at B tends to bend bar DE.
Therefore, the principle of transmissibility is valid for Fig. a and Fig. c, but not for
Fig. b.
 1.2.6 AXIOM OF MECHANICS
The principle of mechanics are postulated upon several more or less
self-evident facts which cannot be proved mathematically but can only be
demonstrated to be true.
(1) The parallelogram law: The resultant of two forces is the diagonal
formed on the vectors of these forces.
(2) Two forces are in equilibrium only when equal in magnitude, opposite
in direction, and collinear in action.
(3) A set of forces in equilibrium may be added to any system of forces
without changing the effect of the original system.
(4) Action and reaction forces are equal but oppositely directed.
1.3 FORCE SYSTEMS; CONCURRENT, NON-CONCURRENT, PARALLEL,
NON-PARALLEL; COPLANAR AND SPATIAL FORCE SYSTEMS

Example of Coplanar Concurrent

Forces:

Example of Spatial Concurrent Forces:

 Example of Coplanar Non-Concurrent Parallel Forces:

● Coplanar forces ​are forces lying on the same plane (x-y plane or two
dimensions)
● Spatial forces ​are forces lying on the space (x, y and z or three
dimensions)

2. RESULTANT OF FORCE SYSTEMS

2.1. Parallelogram Law ​states that the resultant of two forces is the diagonal of the
parallelogram whose initial sides are the vectors of these forces.

Example. ​Draw the resultant force of the two forces P and Q as shown in figure
below

Where: R is the resultant force

P is parallel to P’
Q is parallel to Q’
2.2 Triangle Law ​is a convenient corollary of the parallelogram Law. It states that, if
two forces are represented by their free vectors placed tip-to-tail, their resultant
is the vector directed from the tail of the first vector to the tip of the second
vector
 Example.

2.3 Law of Sines and Cosines for Oblique Triangle

2.4 COMPONENTS OF A FORCE; RESOLUTION OF FORCES INTO PLANAR AND
SPATIAL COMPONENTS
2.4.1 RESOLUTION OF FORCE INTO PLANAR (RECTANGULAR
COMPONENTS)
From the proportionality between the corresponding sides of the force triangle and the
slope triangle, we obtain,
Example:​ Determine the X and Y components of the forces P and F shown in Fig.
below.

Solution:
Consider the force P = 200 lb.

Alternative Solution for P Components: By Sine Law

Consider the force F = 300 lb.

Summary:
2.4.2 COMPONENTS OF FORCES IN SPACE (SPATIAL COMPONENTS)
The spatial counterpart of the parallelogram law is that the resultant R of three
concurrent spatial forces P, Q, and F is the body diagonal of the rhomboid shown in Fig.
below formed by using the three forces as its initial sides.

FIRST METHOD: ​The components of a force as determined by the coordinates of two

points on its line of action.
To determine the rectangular components of a space force ​F​ whose direction is
specified by two points along its line of action is by applying the so called ​proportionality
of force components to distance components.​ The rectangular components of the force
are directly proportional to the rectangular components of the distance ​d ​separating the
two points. This proportionality is an extension of the relations between the sides of a
force triangle and its corresponding slope triangle. (See Figure below)
Example. ​Determine the components of a force F = 300 lb. whose line of action is
directed from the point A (-2, 1, 3) toward point B (3, 5, -3) as shown in Figure below.

Solution:
SECOND METHOD​: Express the components of a force in terms of the angles it makes
with the coordinates which is called ​rectangular components.
By repeated application of Pythagorean Theorem, we will be able to obtain this equation
Example. ​Determine the x, y, and z components of the force F.

Solution:
2.5 RESULTANT OF COPLANAR-CONCURRENT FORCES

Example 1. ​Determine the resultant of the four forces acting on the body as shown

Solution:
Example 2. ​The force system shown in Figure below has a resultant of 200 lb. pointing
up along the Y-axis. Compute the values of F and required to give this resultant.

Solution:
2.6 RESULTANT OF SPATIAL FORCE SYSTEMS
The principle in finding the resultant force in coplanar concurrent force is also
applied in finding the resultant force in space. The X component of the resultant is equal
to the algebraic summation of the X components of the forces comprising the system,
and the same hold true for Y and Z components as well. Thus, we have
Example 1. ​Find the resultant of the concurrent force system shown in Figure below
which consists of forces T = 300 lb., P = 200 lb., and F = 500 lb. directed from D toward
A, B, and C, respectively.

Solution:
Use point D as reference point.

Forces Distance
Components of Distance Force Components (lb.)
(lb.) (d)

11.18
T=300
5 -10 0 134.17 -268.34 0
P=200 -5 -10 -3 11.57 -86.43 -172.86 -51.86
F=500 -5 -8 4 10.25 -243.90 -390.24 195.12